Silva gets 7.5 years for brutal beatings

A man who held captive and brutally beat a woman for several days in a Medford hotel will serve more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to Measure 11 charges in Jackson County Circuit Court.

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By Sanne Specht

MailTribune.com

By Sanne Specht

Posted Jul. 4, 2013 at 12:10 AM
Updated Jul 4, 2013 at 3:10 AM

By Sanne Specht

Posted Jul. 4, 2013 at 12:10 AM
Updated Jul 4, 2013 at 3:10 AM

» Social News

A man who held captive and brutally beat a woman for several days in a Medford hotel will serve more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to Measure 11 charges in Jackson County Circuit Court.

Rodney Edward Silva, 44, pleaded guilty to first-degree sex abuse and second-degree assault for his actions related to the May attacks against the victim, whose injuries were described by Deputy District Attorney Laura Cromwell as some of the worst the prosecutor had ever seen.

"I know what I did," Silva said. "I feel sick. I can't believe I lost my mind so bad."

From May 11 through May 16, Silva beat the victim with a 3-foot-long metal rod, raising a baseball-sized knot on her forehead, shattering her wrist, and inflicting gaping wounds on her ankles that quickly became infected. Late into the weeklong torture, Silva told the victim he was "sexually aroused," and forced her to perform sex acts, Cromwell said.

"Aside from a murder case, this was the most egregious," Cromwell said. "It was horrible."

On the final day, Silva left the room to cash the victim's alimony check. He threatened to kill her if she left the room during his temporary departure. But she managed to escape and asked the hotel manager to call 911.

The victim addressed Silva via a telephone conversation before sentencing. She is recovering from her injuries, learning how to walk and write again. She said she could forgive Silva for his crimes against her. But she added she would never have forgiven herself if she did not stop him from brutalizing another woman.

"I'm stronger than he thinks," the victim said. "But I need to be the last. I have to be. This needs to stop."

Silva was arrested on charges of first-degree rape, second-degree kidnapping, second-degree assault, attempting to elude police and resisting arrest. A new district attorney's information was filed this week to reflect the Measure 11 charges in the negotiated plea bargain. Silva also pleaded guilty to resisting arrest. The remainder of the charges were dropped.

Judge Timothy Gerking called Silva's actions "outrageous," "monstrous," and nothing short of torture. He sentenced him to 75 months for the sexual assault charge, 70 months for the assault charge, running portions of the sentences consecutively to ensure Silva will serve 90 months in prison.

Silva met the woman while on parole in California for a sex-crime conviction against another woman, Cromwell said.